Cathy has four decades of experience leading people and managing organisations and projects, many as a Chief Executive Officer.

She has a Masters in Metaphysical Science, a Bachelor of Education and a Diploma of Teaching TAFE, as well as Diplomas in Community Welfare, Frontline Management, Training and Assessment, and Business Management.

More recently, as the Federal Member for Herbert, Cathy’s work involved navigating social and economic policy, driving strategic direction, and serving on various committees.

She has also held the positions of President and Board member of the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health (QAMH) and Board member of Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA).

Cathy has lived experience of the challenges that face carers every day, both as an individual and a leader.

She first joined the Board of Carers Australia in August 2020, representing Carers QLD although is now an independent director on the Carers Australia Board and was appointed as Chairperson on 1 March 2023 for a two-year term.

Bruce is a registered tax agent, registered auditor, registered company auditor, registered SMSF auditor, holds a limited AFSL licence, and is the Managing Principal at KSG with a career in accounting, taxation, and assurance spanning more than 25 years.

Bruce has a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University, and is a member of Australia and New Zealand Chartered Accountants and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

He joined the Board of Carers Australia in November 2019 as the nominee of Carers NSW.

Linda is a non-executive director and Principal of a strategic communications and marketing business. She has over 40 years’ experience in communications and marketing, both in the public and private sectors, and 25 years’ experience as a Board member with several organisations.

Linda has a Master of Arts (Communications) degree from Monash University and currently sits on the Board of Carers WA. She cared for both her mother and father, her mother having suffered a stroke and her father being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s soon after.

Linda joined the Carers Australia Board in April 2020.

With her background in management at IBM, Optus, and now Jacana Energy, Marie-Louise has management experience in complex businesses and is interested in delivering value, integrity and strong governance.

She has a strong history of leadership in community organisations, including her current roles as Deputy Chair of the Institute of Managers and Leaders, and Non-Executive Director of Carers NT.

Marie-Louise has previously and is currently caring for family members and is passionate about the delivery of services to regional communities, especially for the aged. In 2019 Marie-Louise completed the AICD course ‘Governing to Protect Vulnerable People’.

Marie-Louise is a Life Member and Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences.

She joined the Carers Australia Board in July 2020, representing Carers NT.

Steve Sant has been employed in the health industry for over 40 years, is now semi-retired and works part time in the motorcycle industry. He has broad experience in all areas of the health industry, having worked in positions ranging from registered nurse to Head Office executive management roles. Steve has worked in both State and Federal government and the private and not-for-profit sectors. His appointments include CEO of Parkinson’s Australia, Company Secretary and Network Manager of the Australian Medicare Local Alliance, CEO of the ACT Medicare Local, CEO of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia and CEO of Health Purchasing Victoria. Steve is a graduate of the AICD company directors course and has served on a number of Boards as a non-executive director. He is currently a director of Carers ACT.

Sue brings invaluable expertise in human service delivery, human centred design, public policy and corporate governance from a range of senior executive roles spanning 30 years in the public and not-for-profit sectors. She is passionate about public policy that contributes to innovative and quality services that deliver real outcomes for people.

Sue served as Chief Executive Officer for Colony 47 Incorporated and as a member of the Senior Executive Service at the National Disability Insurance Agency, including Tasmanian State Manager. She worked for the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in Canberra where her focus was on closing the gap, housing, disaster recovery and the National Partnership Agreement for remote Indigenous Housing.

She has also held the positions of President of the Tasmanian Council of Social Service, Vice President of the Australian Council of Social Service and President of Tagari Lia Community Living and Nexus Inc. Sue continues to serve as a non-executive director on a number of not-for-profit boards.

She joined the Board of Carers Australia in November 2021, representing Carers Tasmania.

Lyn is a Volunteer Carer Champion for Carers SA and has been an advocate for unpaid Carers, for almost 20 years.

She has held many positions as a volunteer with Carers SA over the past 17 years, ranging from ministerial appointments to advisory committees, multiple committees as a representative, including 9 years as President and many more facets.

Lyn was also Secretary of Partners of Veterans of SA (PVA SA) for 5 years, as a volunteer. As this was a small organisation Lyn was also a Welfare Officer, organised retreats, helped set up a respite unit and many other roles, for the organisation to function.

As a carer continuously for almost 5 decades, she cared for 4 family members at the same time for several years and ultimately the last 22 years fulltime, for 2 members.

During this time Lyn has faced many obstacles and challenges that carers face daily and endeavours to address as many of these problems, through her advocacy.

Lyn holds a Certificate III in both Business Administration and Medical Business Administration, governance courses and multiple short courses to enable her advocacy.

She joined the Board of Carers Australia in November 2021, representing Carers SA.

David is managing director of National Advisory, a consulting firm that provides strategic advice in relation to policy, politics, regulation and stakeholder engagement.

Previously he was Executive Director of the Pharmacy Guild, a senior executive at Telstra, and held various senior political roles at the Federal Government level with a strong focus on social policy.

David has a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma in Industrial Relations and, since 2019, has been a director of Eating Disorders Families Australia which represents the families and carers of loved ones with eating disorders.

David was appointed to the Carers Australia Board in April 2023 as an independent director.

Tony has enjoyed an executive career in three organisations over his working life, NAB and State Trustees, with his most recent role being CEO of the Centacare, Catholic Diocese of Ballarat and Centacare Housing Services. Tony retired from Centacare Ballarat in December 2020 and is now engaged in a number of Board roles in the not for profit and charitable sectors

As CEO of Centacare and Centacare Housing Services Tony was committed to advocating and increasing social and affordable housing on behalf of the homelessness, unemployed and disability sector.   He strived to ensure Centacare continued to deliver a broad range of quality programs to clients across the Diocese of Ballarat, some of these programs include Family Relationships Services, School Support, Supported Residential services, Family Mental Health Support Services, Juvenile Justice, Victims of Crime and Employment.  Families, children and individuals have all benefitted from his management and advocacy of over 54 programs.   He was a member of the Board of CatholicCare Victoria Tasmania, the Australian Catholic Housing Alliance, and was the former Chair of the Central Highlands Family Services Alliance.

As Managing Director of State Trustees he spent over 11 years looking after people with a legally recognised mental or intellectual incapacity and managing all of their financial and legal affairs under statutory appointment from VCAT.   State Trustees employs 450 people and has a gross revenue of approximately $65m, having grown from approximately $42m when Tony became MD.

Prior to joining State Trustees Tony spent over 25 years at the NAB both domestically and overseas working in senior positions in Marketing, Credit and Strategy & Planning. Tony has also enjoyed a secondment to the NAB’s former subsidiary in Northern Ireland.

Tony joined the Board of Carers Australia in January 2024, representing Carers Victoria.

David Fagan has been a decade-long director of Carers Queensland and is a former editor-in-chief of Queensland’s largest media outlet, The Courier-Mail. He is the author of four books and has worked as both an advisor and executive in the higher education and superannuation sectors since leaving full time work in the media. He is a

Graduate of the AICD, serves as Qld chair of the National Heart Foundation and is a councilor of the Royal National Association which runs Queensland’s largest community event , the Ekka.

David joined the Board of Carers Australia in January 2024, representing Carers Queensland.